Down the rabbit hole
by Gothic984
Summary: As Gail sinks deeper into a comatose state, Merlyn tries to assist her cousin to prevent an outburst from Lucas.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family, Difficult Decisions, Reflection, Spirit, Acceptance, Whole Again, Homecoming, Oh Father, Birthday Surprises, Misguided Feelings, New Year, Picture Perfect, Kinship, Big River, Sunday Morning Coming Down, To Beat The Devil, Best Of All Possible Worlds, Little Girl Lost, Wicked Games, Monster Bash, It Takes Two To Tango and Nobody Wins.

It was a bitter cold December evening in Trinity South Carolina, heavy rain poured down all over town and the strong wind caused the branches of a tree to bang heavily against the window of the hospital room; however, the occupants in the crowded room where Judith Temple had once jumped out of did not pay attention to the coming storm.

'What did you do!' Merlyn shouted accusingly and Lucas.

Lucas stood motionless holding his newborn baby boy, attempting to control his rage; however, the longer Matt tried to resuscitate Gail, the worse it got and he could feel his rage slowly leaking out of him.

When Gail had given birth to their son everything appeared fine, then an inordinate amount of blood started flowing out of her and she passed out. Rita had instinctively rushed to find Matt Crower, while Lucas was left trying to wake her up and keep hold of their child. It had not taken Matt long to stop the blood flowing out of Gail; however, that was when her heart stopped and Lucas' skipped a beat. He would not lose her like this, she would not get off that easily.

His rage began to grow the longer it took for her heart to start beating again and Lucas was about to step in; however, that's when the children entered the room. Caleb stood motionless, staring from Gail to his baby brother and Merlyn did not hide her true feelings about who she thought had caused this situation. Lucas took a deep breath, in an attempt to drown out the irritating girl and that was when the baby started crying.

Lucas did not know what to do with a baby, this was never just supposed to be him. He knew his emotions were causing the storm outside and at that moment in time, it was taking all of his self control not to release his twin to reek havoc on anyone it chose, just to distract him from his current predicament.

The sound of Matt putting down the paddles he had been using to kick start Gails heart, pulled Lucas out of his trance and he handed a reluctant Merlyn the baby. He began to pace the room then saw Matt starting to use his hands, in a last ditch attempt to resuscitate his love and that pushed him over the edge. 'Get out!' he yelled at everybody in the room and caused them all to stop what they were doing.

Merlyn had never seen him this way and sensed his rage, so pulled Caleb out of the room while she held the baby tight.

Matt continued to push on Gail's chest, until Lucas grabbed his hands and pulled him away. When he turned to Lucas about to shout at him, he spotted genuine concern on the mans face and hoped he had some way of fixing this. 'You better bring her back' Matt warned, then left the room against his better judgement.

Lucas stared at Gail's still body and took a deep breath to calm himself. He ignored the long drone of the machine indicating she had flat-lined and pushed away his anger at the current situation. Lucas moved towards her, grabbed a chair and sat down beside her. He picked up her hand gently, then rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes.

Lucas continued to inhale deeply and forced himself to focus. He would not lose her like this, it was not an option he was willing to entertain. He knew he was meddling with forces that he had no right to be messing with, he had only interfered in these matters when he had an airtight deal with someone in need and even then he had only done it a handful of times. Lucas knew there would be consequences for this, as the powers he worked with would expect a sacrifice; however, he was Lucas Buck and anything that tried to go against him in this instance would be damned.

The rain outside turned torrential, it was accompanied by gale force winds which smashed the branches of the tree outside the hospital room against the window. Lucas drowned out all other noise and focused on the light within Gail, it was fading quickly and he tried to pull it back; however, something pierced through his brain and prevented him from taking hold of it.

When Lucas failed to take hold of her light, he summoned her darkness. He had not wanted to go down this route, as her darkness could see this predicament as the opportune moment to snuff the light out within her and he could not guarantee which Gail would come out of this; however, he would do whatever it took to bring her back and deal with the consequences later.

Lucas concentrated hard on Rosemary, then challenged her to come out and take him once and for all. He felt the hatred within her and smiled, this part of her really did not like him and the thought amused him. Suddenly he felt the rage rise within her, he took a quick intake of breath and squeezed her hand hard, then his hand was pried away from Gail's and the connection was lost.

'No!' Lucas yelled and turned towards the damned soul who had dared to interrupt him. When he saw Caleb stood next to him and Merlyn behind him holding the baby, he quickly took hold of his twin who was ready to burst out and punish the guilty party. 'What did you do boy?' he asked through gritted teeth.

Caleb skulked behind Merlyn and she stood tall, whilst slowly rocking the baby. 'What I told him to' she said sternly.

Lucas laughed and shook his head. 'Merlyn Ann...I swear when I'm through with you, you're gonna wish you stayed dead' he threatened, then started to walk towards her.

Merlyn took a step back and shielded Caleb, who clearly did not know what to do. 'I dare you to try this now' she goaded, happy that he was finally showing his true colours in front of Caleb.

Suddenly Lucas felt his boots stick to the floor, it was the same feeling he got when he tried to approach Gail when she was in labour. He quickly turned around expecting to see his love awake; however, she still lay lifeless on the bed. As his attention had momentarily been taken away from the object of his anger, he noticed the monitor had started to beep, indicating Gail's heart had began to beat again. He sensed she was still not fully with him, but this was a start.

Lucas let out a relieved sigh and felt the hold on his boots loosen, he turned around to the children who had backed up all the way into the corner and laughed. 'Momentary lapse...' he smiled at Merlyn, '...it won't happen again'

Merlyn saw the control return to him and sensed the change in Gail, she shook her head at her cousins unconscious assistance to him and let out a long sigh.

Lucas smiled when the realistion crossed over Merlyns face and held his hands out for the baby. 'Come out from behind there son...cowardice doesn't suit you' he said to Caleb and left the room to find Matt Crower.

Merlyn walked towards Gail and stroked her arm. 'You're infuriatin'...' she sighed and felt her cousins head, Gail's mind was not responsive and she did not know what to do. '...Wake up damn it!'

Matt entered the room, just in time to see Merlyn hang her head sadly and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 'I don't know what he did, but it worked...now go and trust me to do my job' he ordered.

Merlyn forced a smile and nodded, she did not trust Lucas with the children and knew Gail would want her to keep an eye on them.

* * *

Gail Emory walked casually past the stalls of the county fair, wearing a long peach thin strapped dress with her long brown hair flowing over her shoulders. The place by the River they had chosen to hold this event was a beautiful spot and she admired the view out onto the water.

It was unusually quiet at the fair, the stalls did not appear to be attended by workers and there were no children around as you would expect; however, she was enjoying the peacefulness and hoped she had the place to herself for a while longer.

The warm summer breeze blew across her face and through her hair, this caused her to take a deep breath and admire her surroundings. It had been a while since she had felt so relaxed with no responsibilities; however, for the life of her she could not understand why that would be the case.

Something stirred behind a tree and it caught her attention, when she saw a dark dog skulk towards her she smiled warmly and knelt down to give it an affectionate stroke. 'You look familiar' she said aloud and continued to stroke the dog. When it nuzzled it's face into her lap, she was hit by a strange sense of deja vu.

The wind picked up and a strong gust blew her over, Gail laughed as she ended up laying on her back and the dog came to lie beside her. After she had regained her composure, she turned towards the dog again and stroked it whilst propped up on one elbow. 'Somethings not right...I can feel it' she whispered to her mysterious companion and smiled when he whined, in an indication that he felt it too.

Gail looked all around her, let out a long breath, then bit her lip unconsciously. 'Where are all the people? It's one of the most popular events of the year, but there's no children playing or parents running around after them. Hell, there's no-one manning the stalls...' she laughed, then let out a sigh. '...What the hell is going on?'

Gideon arose and licked her cheek, then moved down to her knees and gripped the bottom of the dress in his teeth, which had slid up when she had fallen over. He gently pulled the fabric and waited for her to come to terms with what was happening.

Gail narrowed her eyes curiously at her mystery companion, then sat up. 'You want me to get up?' she asked confused, not understanding why she believed it was acceptable to talk to a dog.

Gideon let go of the dress and backed up towards the tree he had appeared from, indicating he understood her. He stood for a moment staring at Gail, then ran past the tree.

Gail watched the display and shook her head, this was all so strange; however, she was intrigued. She got up from her position on the ground and brushed the dirt off her dress with her hands, then began to follow her mysterious friend. It occurred to her when she got closer to the dogs current location that she had followed the animal without any concern whatsoever. She had no idea where he was leading her or why she felt the animal was trustworthy, she had been taught better than this and it was not like her to follow anyone or anything obediently without question.

Gideon stopped at the edge of the riverbank and waited for his Master, when he sensed her near his position he sat down obediently and stared into the water.

Gail glanced in the direction of the dogs gaze and caught sight of a boat on the river, she squinted her eyes in an attempt to see who was in the boat; however, without her glasses there was not much hope of that. As the boat rowed closer to the shore, her mouth dropped open when she realised who the occupants were.

'They're cute aren't they?...' came a sweet voice from behind her, '...He's not much to look at but when he's with Christie, somethin' changes about him'

Gail continued to watch her Mother laughing with Gage Temple in the boat ahead of her, then turned her head away in disgust. She loved her Mother deeply; however, there were other ways to deal with falling out of love and she should have had more respect than to go frolicking about with a man such as Gage Temple.

Suddenly she became aware that the young woman who had been previously stood behind her, had walked away and sat on a bench to her right. Gail turned towards the young woman and stared at her curiously. Her golden blonde hair hung wild over her shoulders, not much different to Gail's and her petite figure was hidden underneath a long vest and a pair of ripped blue jeans.

The young woman reminded her of someone she used to know, she could not place the resemblance; however, the letter M was stuck in her mind.

The young woman pulled a porcelain doll from behind her back and placed it on her knee. 'My little Merlyn, you love to look out into the water don't you?' she smiled at the doll.

Merlyn, that unusual name meant something to her and she began to feel uneasy. She glanced around again, noticing there was still no-one here but her and this young woman, then a feeling of suspicion swept through her. Gail looked towards the river quickly, not wanting to take her eyes off the woman for long, and noticed the boat was gone. When she turned back towards the young blonde woman, she jumped back when she appeared right in front of her face.

'What did you think would happen? You thought you were different but you're not...now you're here with us' she said and a wicked grin came across her face.

Gideon stood up and jumped towards the woman; however, she disappeared before he could get his teeth into her. He ran back towards his Master and sat down in front of her feet, glancing around protectively.

Gail stared at the spot where the woman had been and her body gave off an involuntary shiver. This was not right and she desperately needed to find out what was going on.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Rita paced up and down the hallway, with her baby Izzy in her arms. She could not get the sight of Gail's blood out of her mind, or the way the Sheriff had stared at her when it became evident something was wrong with her.

Rita had been in the hospital room with Gail on and off for over 24 hours, while she assisted in the birth of her child. She had witnessed this procedure thousands of times previously and she was not some trainee just out of University, she was skilled enough to deliver a baby and there had been no other alternative that would have suited Gail's demands. She had performed to the best of her ability, ensured both baby and Mother were well; therefore, she could not understand what had happened.

Matt had assured her that she had done nothing wrong and she had delivered the baby safely; however, the look of accountability that Lucas had given her, before Matt ordered her out of the room made her question her actions.

Had she endangered Gail some how? Surely not, as the woman was her friend and she had been extra careful to ensure she was acting in her best interests. She was sure she had followed the correct procedures and performed as well as any other medical professional could have; however, that awful look of blame made her question everything she had done in that 24 hour period.

Rita had been tired, they all had been after such a long period of time. Could she have missed something? Maybe some sign that Gail was injured, maybe a push had ruptured something that she had not noticed? All the different scenarios played through her head, as she held onto her baby for comfort.

Ben came around the corner and spotted Rita with their daughter. He saw the look of sorrow on her face and went to her, then placed a reassuring arm around her shoulder. 'Stop this' he ordered.

'Stop what?' she snapped and pulled away from him.

Ben sighed and shook his head. 'You did the best that you could, this ain't your fault...Matt doesn't even know what happened, so how could you?'

Rita continued to pace and rocked Izzy in her arms. It was true that Matt had not been able to find the source of the blood, which was strange; however, Gail had been in her care and look what happened. 'I never should have believed I could do what a Doctor could' she said defeated and could feel tears welling up within her eyes.

Ben could feel the anger rising within him, as usual he had been brought into something that he wanted no part of and now Rita was suffering because of it. He should never have allowed her to go into that room, he knew better than to trust everything would work out when the usual suspects were involved.

'God damn it Rita!...' he snapped, then spotted the hurt look on her face which instantly made him regret his outburst and changed tactics. '...What I mean is, you're a skilled professional and whatever the hell is goin' on in that room is beyond any of our control...This whole thing is weird and you can't blame yourself for something even Matt can't fix'

Rita let out a deep breath and shook her head, what he said made sense and nobody had any idea what was going on in that room. She supposed blaming herself was not going to solve the problem; therefore, she handed Ben the baby and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

'What was that for?' he asked confused, as he had expected a row.

'For talkin' some sense into me...' she smiled and stroked his cheek, '...You take Izzy home, I need to help Matt'

Ben shook his head and stood his ground. 'I'm not leavin' you here...I know there's no point arguin' with you to come home, so if you're stayin' me and Izzy are too' he said with an authoritative tone.

Rita rolled her eyes and playfully smacked him on the behind. 'Fine, well seen as you're stayin' you better make sure all the children are seen to' she smiled, then turned and headed towards Matt's office.

* * *

Caleb was sat with Abraham in the main area of the hospital, playing with his hands. When Gail had given birth to his little baby brother, everything had happened so fast and he felt as though he was in a haze.

Lucas was guarding the baby and appeared to have no time for him. Merlyn had camped inside Gail's room, refusing to leave her side and Doctor Matt was in his office trying to figure out what had happened to Gail. This meant Caleb had been left babysitting Abe, he supposed he did not mind as it kept him out of the way; however, part of him felt discarded.

He had caught a glimpse of the new baby when Merlyn was caring for him and when Lucas took over. He knew he should feel happy that there was a new addition to the family, especially seen as most of his family were dead; however, there was a bitterness growing inside of him and although Lucas had warned him against that kind of feeling, he could not help but feel some disdain towards his baby brother.

'You're quiet boy...I bet you're worried about my Rosie' Abe sighed and placed a reassuring hand on Caleb's shoulder.

Caleb nodded obediently, performing as he should; however, his outward appearance was not how he truly felt. Part of him felt relieved Gail was in the condition she was, as she would instantly see the change in him and he did not want to risk her knowing how he felt about the baby. Caleb suspected that he needed to sort out his feelings before his cousin came back to the land of the living, or there would be hell to pay.

Abe stood up and slowly walked towards Gail's hospital room, with Caleb following close behind. 'You know, I remember when her daddy was younger and his little sister was born...that boy put a whole lotta hurtin' on that poor girl, so much so that she ran away when she was a teenager'

'Gail's daddy had a sister?' Caleb asked curiously, he had never heard much of that side of the family and was not aware that there may be more of them.

'She was a pretty little thing, kind too...it's a shame she got driven away' Abe sighed and turned towards Caleb knowingly.

Caleb stood uncomfortably under his knowing gaze and shifted on the spot. 'What happened to her?'

Abe watched the boy carefully. 'Some say she got outta this town, but I've been here long enough to know things rarely work out that well...You know, being the older siblin' can be hard and it can seem like you're bein' forgotten about'

Caleb stopped shifting and stood tall. 'Why are you tellin' me this?' he asked.

Abe shrugged and continued to watch the boys reactions. 'You're an alpha male, just like Peter was and sometimes it's easy to believe you have the right to be at the top of the chain, but remember this...you come from a long line of alpha's and you're not the only player in this town' he warned, then entered Gail's hospital room.

Caleb stood for a moment, unsure what he was supposed to gain by Abe's ramblings.

'He's warnin' you to put your bad thoughts behind you, as you're not the only alpha in this neck of the woods' Merlyn said, as she leaned against the door and watched her brother suspiciously.

Caleb stared defiantly at her for a moment, then turned away. 'I'm gonna go find my daddy' he called, as he walked down the corridor.

'You do that' Merlyn said and shook her head. She did not have the time to deal with the conflicting feelings her brother was clearly plagued with and closed the hospital door, so she could tend to her cousin.

* * *

Gail had been walking down the riverbank, following the flow of the river. She had decided that she did not like being by the fair, it was eerie without the townspeople and she did not trust that area after her run in with Caleb's Mother; therefore, she had crossed a small bridge to the other side of the river and started walking.

It had not taken Gail long to remember her cousin and figure out who the young blonde woman had been, she had just been in shock initially and had not been able to think straight at the time. She was now in full control of her senses and she was trying to figure out the best way forward here.

Gail had started to recall a few things, now that she was aware of her cousin. She did not have her full memory or could she figure out for the life of her why she was in Trinity; however, small pictures began to come back to her. She remembered crab fishing with Caleb, staying with him at the Boarding House and taking him out for long walks on the pier. She was clearly close to her cousin, but did not recall what had happened to bring them together.

This situation was frustrating and she was starting to lose her patience. She knew there was a lot that she could not remember, important things; however, it was as though there was a mental block preventing her from taking full control of her memories. She sensed that this was the key in figuring out what was going on and she needed to snap out of whatever haze she was in.

Gail felt something stir within her and stopped, she glanced into the wooded area to her left and could not stop her feet from walking in that direction. She felt as though she was being pulled towards something and began to get concerned. She did not fully understand what was going on; however, whatever she was drawn to may provide her with the answers she required.

When she pushed deeper into the woods, she spotted a large cabin and a wave of relief flowed through her. She did not know where she knew this cabin from; however, it felt safe and she wanted desperately to go inside.

Suddenly an older Judith Temple came walking towards her, from behind the cabin. Gail spotted a sharp object in her hand, then instinctively turned and ran back towards the River. She could sense Judith following her at a steady pace and began running faster, with her trusted dog running along side her. It was evident that her Aunt wanted to hurt her and she was confused as to why; however, she would not give her the opportunity to catch her and she sensed it was paramount that she got away from her.

Gail was beginning to struggle to catch her breath, but she pushed on as quickly as she could. Her legs started to feel like lead and she felt herself ready to collapse, when she spotted a teenage girl signalling her from behind a tree. She stopped for a moment and regarded the girl suspiciously, then glanced over her shoulder to see Judith closing the distance and chose to follow the girl.

The young girl, with long brown hair rushed to a nearby clearing and led Gail to large open area. Gail did not believe standing out in the open was the best course of action here; however, she sensed Judith's pursuit end and turned towards the girl. 'Who are you? What the hell is going on here?' she panted and tried to get some much needed air into her lungs.

The girl smiled sweetly and signaled for Gail to follow her, when she reached the middle of the open wooded area she sat down and crossed her legs.

Gail watched the girl curiously, she felt as though she was familiar; however, she could not place the girls face. She sat down beside her on the ground and glanced around. 'It's nice and quiet here, do you come her often?' she asked.

The girl just shrugged and continued to watch her, she appeared fascinated with Gail and could not take her eyes off of her.

Gail felt herself become impatient, she was not in the mood to be someones science project; therefore, she stood up and brushed off her dress. 'I haven't got time for this, you should go home to your parents...' she started, then spotted something sticking out of the grass to the side of the girl.

The girl smiled and stood up, then backed away a few steps.

Gail walked forward slowly, then knelt down where the girl had been sat. She gently touched the strange shaped rock that was sticking out of the ground and tried to clear away some of the dirt around it. When she dug around the sides, she realised what she was looking at and screamed. She had cleared away the dirt to reveal part of a corpses skull and she began to run again, in an attempt to get away from this hell.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Merlyn sat by Gail's bedside holding her hand, she could have sworn her cousin had moved a few moments earlier; however, she had been too busy attempting to reassure Abe that she had taken her eyes off her for a second, so she could not be sure. She had sent Abe away to find Lucas and ensure the baby was being taken care of, to allow her to be alone once again with her cousin. Distractions would not allow her to figure out what was going on and she needed to start getting a handle on this, otherwise she suspected Lucas would start to vent his frustration on innocent parties.

This whole situation struck Merlyn as strange, Matt had come in earlier and checked Gail's vitals which indicated she should be fine; however, she would not wake up. She was starting to suspect that whatever was causing her cousins current state was not medical and had sent Matt away, as he was only getting in her way.

Merlyn cast her mind back to when Gail was in the coma after she had lost her first child. She had never mentioned it before; however, she had been able to connect with her cousin in that state and remembered that Gail had not wanted to wake up.

For weeks Merlyn had stood in the corner in her limbo, while no-one could see her and watched as Billy, Caleb, Lucas, and even Selena had visited her cousins bedside; however, they were all blissfully unaware of her presence and that Gail just wanted to be left alone. In the end it was Caleb's worry that had convinced Merlyn to use the last of her power to wake Gail up. No-one had even considered that she had intervened and this is when she first became aware of the connection she had with her cousin.

Merlyn wondered if this condition was similar to that time, although Gail had not lost the baby this time so that would not make any sense. Their connection was stronger now, she just need to find away to break through the barrier that had been put up in Gail's mind. She knew Lucas had tried to connect with her and that had not ended very well; however, Gail was her family and it had been the spirit of her unborn child that had made her whole again, therefore, she suspected their bond was stronger than the hold Lucas had on her cousin.

A cold breeze ran down her bare arms and felt like invisible fingers clawing her skin. Merlyn jumped up, then glanced around to ensure they were alone in the room; however, she sensed another presence here with them. She was not stupid and did not believe the presence here was just a coincidence, she was just unsure of whether it was helping or being a hindrance.

Merlyn sat back down and took hold of Gail's hand gently, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She did not have the time or the patience to be spooked right now; therefore, she disregarded the presence around them and went back to focusing on the problem at hand.

* * *

Lucas sat behind Matt Crower's desk, reading his report on Gail. The ignoramus appeared to be no further along in figuring out what was causing his love's comatose state and the lack of Harvard's use here was beginning to bother him.

It was no secret that Lucas despised Matt Crower, the only benefit of the man being in Trinity was his skill in treating the townspeople in need and Lucas respected his competence at times; however, the man appeared in a state of panic at this present time, clearly due to his patient being his best friend. If he did not prove his worth very soon, Lucas would have no reason to allow him to stay around.

The sound of his baby stirring in his arms pulled him away from his thoughts. He smiled proudly as the watched his new born sleep through this awful situation, the baby appeared blissfully unaware that his Mother was in such a bad condition. He hoped Gail would snap out of whatever this was soon, before the baby became aware of his Mothers lack of presence, as he had no idea how to look after a baby on his own and had been looking forward to experiencing this unknown with her.

Lucas could feel the rage within him and his twin trying to claw it's way out again. It would be easy for him to release his anger and allow his twin to amuse him by torturing some unsuspecting soul. That would distract him from his current predicament and part of him was ready to let go; however, he needed to remain focused and suspected Gail would not appreciate him lashing out at someone, when she woke up.

Lucas let out a long sigh and shook his head. He had told Gail in her previous pregnancy that he would change and she had just laughed at him, then told him to go kill himself. Although that amused him, he did not appreciate her lack of faith in what he had offered. It had taken a lot for him to commit to something like that, considering his previous track record and had she known him before, she would have realised he had already been true to his word regardless of her response that day.

Being distracted with Gail had caused him to cut down on his deals, he had not lashed out as much as he used to and had been making an effort to show some restraint. He may have slipped every now and again, that was inevitable; however, overall he had reduced his homicidal urges and had he allowed her to know the full extent of his past crimes, she would have noticed that.

All in all he supposed Gail had been a good influence on him, that had never happened to him before and he did not know how he felt about it. He laughed to himself when he realised he had been a bad influence on her, he had caused her true questionable self to rear it's head and it was one of his most proud accomplishments. He would have fun exploring that side of her more in the future; however, he needed to focus on the present and what he was going to do to fix this.

Matt walked into his office with Rita following close behind him, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Lucas sat behind his desk and could not control his annoyance. 'What the hell are you doing in my office?' he snapped.

Rita spotted the look of anger on Lucas's face and pulled Matt behind. 'What he meant was this office has confidential patient records, so you shouldn't be in here Sheriff' she said sweetly and forced a smile.

Lucas stood up and regarded Matt with disdain, then turned his attention to Rita. 'I was hoping to have an update on my companions condition, but it appears Harvard here isn't up to the job' he accused.

Matt tried to push past Rita; however, she stood her ground. 'You'll have an update when we have one to provide Sheriff...Now why don't you go take that little Dalin' of yours to the postnatal ward, to ensure the little one is alright?'

Lucas laughed and shook his head. 'You worry about his Momma and I'll take care of this one' he advised, then walked out of the office.

Matt stormed past Rita to his desk, then cursed when he saw Gail's open file. 'That son of bitch...' he started in anger.

'Careful Matt...' Rita interrupted, '...If Gail were here, she'd warn you against pushing him in his current state'

Matt laughed and ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. 'Well she's not here is she?...Come on, let's get this done' he sighed and sat down behind his desk.

* * *

Gail had ran as fast as she could, until her legs would not carry her any longer. She had found a long stretch of road when she had broken free of the woods and had rested for a while, until she decided to start walking again. Gail had been walking for what seemed like forever. The sun was still high in the sky and it occurred to her that it should have set by now, considering she had been at the fair hours earlier and had been walking for a long time.

Gail started to wonder again about the strangeness she was sensing, her memory was still blank and she needed to get a handle on this. She remembered Caleb and his dead sister Merlyn, she recalled her friend Matt and Ben Healy; however, that was all. There was something or someone important that she was missing and she could not put her finger on it. She was beginning to get frustrated with the whole situation and it was starting to make her feel uneasy.

She stopped for a moment and took a deep breath, to clear her mind and put it to some use. Why was she walking? She had a vintage Mustang and never left her residence without it. That car had been her prized possession for years and she would never just discard it, so where was it? She also had a backpack with all her necessities in. It had been drilled into her when she was a trainee Reporter to always be prepared with certain things and she would not caught dead without her backpack; however, here she was in the middle of nowhere, with no car and no backpack. Something definitely was not right here and she would figure not rest until she figured it out.

As if something read her mind, her Mustang appeared in the distance where the long road veered to the right. Gail stared suspiciously at the red object down the road. how convenient it was that one of the objects of her thoughts had just appeared. She increased her pace and rushed towards the car, when she reached it she glanced in the front passenger window and spotted her backpack.

Gail took a step back and surveyed her surroundings, she appeared to be alone apart from her trusted dog companion; however, this new turn of events was curious. She was sick of walking so took a chance and headed for the driver side, then tried to handle. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously when the door opened and laughed. 'Well I've never left my car unlocked in my life' she said to her companion and signaled for him to jump in.

Gideon jumped into the car and moved to the passenger seat, after inspecting the back seat of the car. Gail watched her companion closely, then got in to the drivers seat when she was confident there was nobody hiding in the car. The keys were in the ignition and she shook her head, this did feel right and she locked the doors to ensure they were secure.

Gail turned on the engine and instinctively started to drive, when her companion let out a low whine. 'I know boy, believe me I do...' she sighed, '...but we can't just stay still and do nothing'

Gideon glanced out of the back window and let out a loud bark. Gail jumped and looked in the rear-view mirror, to see what had spooked her companion. She could not be 100 percent sure; however, she spotted a figure in the distance and suspected it was the young teenage girl who she had ran away from. Gail had no desire to revisit whatever that was, so she put her foot down on the pedal and sped away.

* * *

Caleb paced outside the hospital room, before plucking up the courage to enter. He was going to try and find Lucas to see if he could help; however, he was drawn to this room and could not resist entering any longer.

Merlyn was sat with her head down and shoulders slumped. She had not heard Caleb enter and jumped when she felt a hand on her arm. 'Jesus Caleb!' she yelled in shock.

Caleb took a step back and looked wounded. 'I didn't mean nothin'...I just wanted to see if you're alright'

Merlyn let out a long sigh and shook her head in irritation. 'I'll be fine if everybody would just leave me be...why don't you go to Lucas? It's what you're best at' she accused and sat back down.

Caleb regarded his sister cautiously, she was not behaving like her usual self and he started to worry. 'Lucas is with the baby and I chose to come here, so stop gettin' at me and tell me what I can do to help' he said sternly.

Merlyn shot her brother an annoyed glance, then started laughing. 'Look at you all authoritative...you must get that off your daddy' she joked.

Caleb laughed when his sister appeared to relax, 'Well you must get your stubbornness off Gail' he said sarcastically.

Merlyn smiled and looked at her cousin, there had been no change in her over the past hour and she felt like something had to give. The fact that Caleb had chosen to come to her rather than Lucas had made her relax, there still may be hope for him yet. 'I'd rather be stubborn, than be a Buck' she said playfully.

'At least I ain't stubborn and a Buck...that poor baby don't stand a chance' Caleb laughed and sat on the bed beside his sister.

Merlyn could not stop laughing. She hoped Lucas did not choose this moment to come check on Gail, as there would be hell to pay if he knew what they were joking about. 'Enough of that, you're gonna get us shot...How are you doin'?' she asked, trying to calm herself.

Caleb smiled, then glanced at Gail and his smile faded. 'I dunno...there's just a lot' he shrugged, not knowing how to put his feelings into words.

Merlyn nodded, sensing what he meant. 'Don't you be worried about what this new baby means for you...Lucas fought to be in your life, this ain't gonna change that unfortunately' she said disapprovingly.

Caleb forced a smile, he was worried and had not wanted to say it. 'But what if...'

'But nothin'...' Merlyn interjected, '...It ain't even worth thinkin' about. If I thought there was any chance this new baby would mean he left you alone, I'd be over the moon...There's no chance of that Caleb and you need to push away any untoward thoughts that try to make you believe otherwise'

Caleb nodded and knew she was referring to the darkness inside of him. He did not want to hurt anybody, he just could not control his feelings. 'I guess you're right' he said and stroked Gail's lifeless hand affectionately.

Suddenly Gail's hand gripped Caleb's tight and her body began to shake. Caleb tried to pull free of her grasp; however, she was too strong.

Merlyn jumped up at the sudden sign of life, then did not know what to do. She could see Gail squeezing Caleb's hand hard and the pain it was causing was displayed on his face. Without thinking she rushed out of the room and into the corridor, then screamed Lucas' name.

Lucas had just handed Abe the baby, when he heard his name from the other side of the hospital. He instinctively closed his eyes and was outside the hospital room with Merlyn, the look of fear on her face was unmistakable and he rushed into the room to see Gail's hand gripping Caleb's. This was the first sign of movement he had witness since she closed her eyes after giving birth and it took a moment for him to process what was happening.

'Jesus Lucas!' Merlyn yelled, then let out a relieved breath when he rushed to Gail's bedside.

Without thinking, Lucas stroked the hand gripping Caleb's and allowed his hand to travel to Gail's wrist. Her hand automatically released Caleb and Lucas put his hand in the boys place. 'How long has she been like this?' he asked, concerned with Gail's shaking body.

'I just stroked her...' Caleb started.

'Only just...' Merlyn interrupted, ignoring her brother. '...but I think she may have moved earlier'

Lucas shot Merlyn a disapproving glance. 'Why didn't you get me?'

'Well I wasn't sure and someone has to look after the baby Lucas' she snapped in anger.

Lucas took a deep breath to control his rage and turned back towards Gail. There was no point taking anything out on Merlyn, as she appeared to be trying to help. 'You both need to get out' Lucas ordered, then rested his head on Gail's. Suddenly the heart monitor started to beep uncontrollably, then Gail started thrashing in the bed and Lucas felt a burning sensation inside his chest.

Merlyn watched as Gail's body changed drastically from shaking to thrashing and instinctively pulled Lucas away, to sever their connection and took hold of her cousins hand. Gail's body instantly relaxed and the heart monitor went back to slow, steady beeps. Merlyn inhaled deeply to calm her own heart rate and watched her cousins body return to the lifeless state it had been previously.

Lucas stared at Merlyn in disbelief, he was not impressed that she had managed to calm his love and his rage started to grow.

'I think we should go' Caleb said upset and placed his hand on Lucas' shoulder.

Lucas shook his head and laughed. His choice was to stay here and cause a sever reaction to his love, or take his upset son to see his little brother. Lucas did not want to leave Gail and did not like the feeling of being powerless here; however, it appeared that Merlyn had this under control for now.

Lucas shrugged Caleb's hand off his shoulder, then approached Merlyn and leaned in close. 'This is your ball game now Missy...but if anythin' happens to her, no amount of protection from your family will save you from my wrath' he whispered, then signalled for Caleb to follow him out of the room.

Merlyn forced a reassuring smile at Caleb before he left, then turned back towards Gail. 'Alright, it's just you and me now...we're gonna figure this out' Merlyn whispered in her ear and placed her head tenderly on Gail's.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Gail drove through the ghost town that was Trinity South Carolina and the more she investigated her suspicions, the eerier this place seemed. There were no residents on the streets or in any Stores, the sun was still high above; therefore, the lack of people at this time of day was concerning.

As Gail drove past the Sheriffs Station Gideon began to how, so she pulled up in front of the building. She supposed this was as good a place as any to attempt to report the strange things that were going on. When she stepped out of the car and started to approach the Station, a gust of wind blew her back against the Mustang. Gail laughed and shook her head, 'Come on boy, let's get inside before we're both blown into the road and hit by an imaginary car' she joked and entered the Sheriff's Station.

Gail inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, she did not recall ever coming here; however, it felt familiar and she instinctively walked past the deserted counter to the open Sheriff's office. The room was dark and had an intimidating feel to it, but she liked it. She admired the large dark tree effect image behind the dark oak desk and the other unusual art on the walls. Gail perched herself on the edge of the large desk and ran her fingers over the wood. 'Feels sturdy, I suppose it would have to be' she said, without wondering what she was referring to.

She sat for a moment longer then paced around to room, trailing her finger along the walls as she went. Gail stopped at a plaque hung on the wall and carefully took it down. 'Sheriff of the Year huh? I wonder who he bribed to get this' she joked and glanced at the dog, who was watching her intently.

A flash of light surged through her brain, causing her to give herself a mental shake. 'I know you...' she said to the dog and hung the plaque back up, then went around the desk to be closer to her companion.

Gail knelt down and stroked the dog, then smiled when he licked her hand. 'Gideon?' she asked, saying the first name that came to mind.

Gideon jumped up and pushed her down on the floor, then started licking her face. 'Get off!' she ordered, trying to sound serious through her laughter. When Gideon obeyed and gave her some space, she propped herself up on her elbows and surveyed the room.

'Hmmm...' Gail pondered, then stood up and turned back towards the desk. She ran her fingers over the wood once more then moved to a bare spot on the office wall, where she noticed scratches and glanced down at her long nails. '...I've been here before'

She glanced over her shoulder then moved to the open door of the office, which was resting against the dark wood wall. She opened the door slightly and inspected the glass. 'Lucas Buck...Sheriff' she whispered, then a flashback of a handsome older man bringing her roses surged through her mind.

Gail gripped the door tight and felt her body begin to shake uncontrollably. Suddenly she felt as though her blood was boiling; however, she could not release her grip of the door. Gideon started barking, but the sound was faint to her ears. She was in excruciating pain and screamed out for it to stop.

The soothing voice of girl flowed through her mind and she felt the pain subside, the voice stated it was just the both them now and they were going to figure this out. Gail released the door and rushed out of the Sheriff's Station, with Gideon following close behind her. When she reached her car, she spotted the teenage girl she had seen earlier standing across the street watching her.

The girl turned to her right and pointed down the street, when Gail looked in that direction she saw Judith Temple casually walking down the street holding a knife. Gail was beginning to get annoyed with this apparent chase and felt something strange stir within her, she took a deep breath to calm herself then quickly opened the car door and signaled for Gideon to get in.

Gail did not have time to deal with her homicidal Aunt right now; therefore, she turned on the engine and quickly drove away, then allowed her instincts to guide her.

* * *

Matt paced the hospital room in frustration, Gail's vitals had started to slow and he could not figure out what was wrong with her. He had tried everything he could think of to attempt to bring her back; however, it was like banging his head against a brick wall.

This matter was getting out of hand. He could not understand what was going on here, he was a skilled professional and had tried everything in his power, in addition to some experimental drugs; however, nothing seemed to work. The old voices in his head had begun to talk to him again, it was clear the stress of seeing his best friend in this condition was starting to affect him and he was at a loss of what to do.

Merlyn placed a reassuring hand on Matt's shoulder. She had been so distracted with Gail that she had not noticed how much this matter was affecting him and Gail would not forgive her if she allowed Matt to slip. 'Calm down...you're not gonna be able to assist anyone if you lose your cool' she whispered.

Matt took a deep breath and allowed himself to enjoy the tingling sensation that ran through his body at her touch, then gave himself a mental shake. His inappropriate feelings for this young girl would not help him keep his focus; therefore, he shrugged her hand off his shoulder and walked towards the window. 'You know Caleb's mother jumped out of this window after she gave birth right?'

Merlyn rolled her eyes and shook her head. 'That's what they say, so what?' she snapped unintentionally.

Matt caught the anger in her tone and glanced over his shoulder concerned. 'I'm not saying I believe the story, but the woman died here regardless' he sighed.

Merlyn narrowed her eyes at him, she truly had no idea where he was going with this.

Matt let out a small laugh and shook his head, conventional thinking had gotten them nowhere; therefore, he was opening himself up to other possibilities. 'Why would Gail choose this room above any other in the hospital?...' he asked, thinking out loud. '...and why is it always so cold in here?'

Merlyn sensed the presence in the room become stronger and took a few protective steps towards Matt. 'It's just a room Matt' she said, disregarding his questions.

'Alright...' he nodded, '...but don't you think it's strange that something is happening to another woman who gave birth to Lucas Bucks child in here?'

Merlyn sensed the presence in the room surrounding them, then stood by Matt's side. 'You sound crazy' she said concerned.

Matt laughed and gently turned Merlyn around to face the door. 'What's crazy is that dog getting in here through a closed door, without either of us noticing' he whispered.

Merlyn looked at Gideon, who had begun to bare his teeth as he skulked in their direction. She was not afraid of the dog; however, it only showed up when there was a threat. 'Do you trust me?' Merlyn asked and glanced at Matt over her shoulder.

Matt regarded her suspiciously. 'I have no reason not to, why?' he asked.

'I need you to go, right now' she ordered and turned back towards Gideon.

'Why would I do that, I'm trying to figure out what's going on with my patient'

'Now Matt' she snapped, then grabbed his arm and rushed to the door, avoiding Gideon as they past.

Matt pulled his arm free and took hold of her shoulders sternly. 'What's wrong with you?...I think you've been in here on your own for too long'

Without thinking Merlyn leaned forward and brushed her nose on his, then placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Matt savored her soft lips on his and instinctively kissed her back, then pulled away quickly. He could not believe he had allowed this young girl to kiss him and rushed out of the room, to create some space so he could think.

Merlyn watched Matt leave, then closed the door and leaned against it. She had to get him out as she felt the presence becoming increasingly strong and she could not believe the method she had used. Still, she could not shake the butterflies in her stomach and the smile on her lips.

Gideon sensed the presence in the room dissipating and went to Merlyn's side, then sat down in front of her protectively and looked at his Master.

Merlyn sighed and touched her lips with her thumb. 'He raised a good point' she said out loud to Gideon and risked giving the dog a stroke. It was strange another woman who had given birth to a Buck was in such a state; however, this time it was not Lucas pulling the strings, so who was?

Merlyn went back to a seated position by Gail's bedside and began to ponder on the matter.

* * *

Lucas pulled up in the driveway of his extravagant Mansion and turned off the engine. He was starting to go stir crazy cooped up in the hospital, so he left the baby with Abe and decided to go for a drive to clear his head. If he lost control and lashed out at someone, it would only make matters worse; therefore, he did the smart thing and came home, where he would be of no danger to anyone.

Lucas sat in his car for a moment, then punched the steering wheel in anger. This was getting out of hand and if Gail did not wake up soon, he would not be able to control his behaviour.

He got out of the car and slammed the door, then headed to his front door. He put the key in the lock, then waited before letting out a long sigh and running his fingers through his hair. He turned to his large garden and decided a stroll in the fresh winter air might do him some good; therefore, he placed his keys back into his pocked and headed to the side of the house.

This was where his true connection with Gail had first been confirmed, he had fond memories of their first time together and started to retrace their steps. He came to the Gargoyle statue she had walked past to enter his domain and smiled, there were still remnants of the flowers she had planted here in an attempt to brighten up the place. He continued to follow their path until he came to the bench he had gently placed her on, before removing her panties.

Lucas sat down on the bench and stared knowingly at the ground to his right, this is where he had first taken her and he still remembered how good that first entry had felt. After she had finally willingly given herself over to him, it was inevitable that they would come this far. He had known she was different, as he would never have considered changing his ways for another person previously and there was something about her that made him not want to disappoint her.

He leaned down and touched the ground with his hand, then let out a long breath. 'What are you doin' Darlin'' he said out loud, then was hit with an intense pain in his head.

* * *

Gail sat on the small bench backless white bench in the large garden of the Buck residence, she did not know why she had came here and her frustration was beginning to grow. She looked up at the clear summers sky and shook her head. 'No later huh?' she asked herself, then lay down on the ground in front of the bench.

There was something about this place that made her feel at ease and she felt like something important had happened here. She closed her eyes and felt a tingling sensation all through her body, why would she be involved with a small town Sheriff? And how would someone of that stature be able to afford such an extravagant place like this? Everything was so confusing; however, her instincts would not be wrong, therefore, she knew she was involved with this man somehow.

Suddenly a sharp pain surged through her head and she had a vision of a handsome man leaning down and touching the ground where she lay. She jumped up quickly and the connection appeared to be severed, as the pain disappeared and she was once again alone with Gideon. 'Something has to give here...What the hell am I supposed to do?!' she yelled, but no response was heard.

Gail let out a loud sigh and started to head for her car. 'Come on boy, I've got better things to do than waste my time here'

* * *

Lucas stood up and surveyed the garden; however, he had lost all feelings of his love. He cursed out loud and stormed back to his car. If she had been here she was gone now and he had no idea what she was doing.

Lucas slammed the gate closed in anger, then opened his car door. He needed to get back to the hospital and find out what was happened, or his bad mood would be taken out on someone.

* * *

Gail was driving through the streets on autopilot, she could have sworn there was someone else in that garden with her and she could not shake the yearning in the pit of her stomach. Her hazy temperament took over and she was barely paying attention to where she was driving, her instincts appeared to be guiding her and she had not crashed yet; therefore, she allowed herself to think back to the garden.

That property was intriguing, it had a dark quality to it and she would have happily stayed there all day, attempting to uncover it's secrets; however, she needed to figure out why she was in a seemingly endless cycle.

Gail was past believing this was all in her head and the unforgiving sun beating down from the sky at a permanent midday position, was all she needed to convince her that she was stuck. The question was why? Why would she be stuck in this place, all alone apart from some members of her family and a strange young girl?

As if reading her mind, the girl appeared at the side of the road prompting Gail to slam her foot down on the brakes. When the car came to a sudden halt, Gail noticed she was parked outside of her old childhood home and she got out of the car. The last time she had been here, she had witnessed a memory she had pushed deep down about her father burning her with a cigarette and she prayed this would not be another repeat of that horror.

'Who knew my little girl would grow up to be such a wuss?' Peter Emory said, as he came from the side of the house and lit a cigarette.

The young girl who had caused Gail to stop backed up towards her and stood stiff, leaning on the Mustang. Gail could not blame her as she herself felt frozen at the sight of her father.

'Jesus, you two are as bad as each other...What is it with the Emory girls?' Peter laughed, then sat down on the porch steps and took a large drag of his cigarette.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Merlyn stood by the window that her Mother had been thrown out of, trying to clear her mind. She was missing something, something big and she could not figure it out for the life of her. She had sensed Lucas' return to the hospital and his malevolent thoughts. It appeared that being this close to Gail had clearly given her an insight into the man she hated so much; however, all that did was put her under pressure to fix this, before he lashed at at some unsuspecting person.

The presence in the room had gotten stronger and as it grew, Gail's pulse slowed. Merlyn was worried that whatever was in here with them was draining the life out of her cousin and she needed to stop this now, before it was too late.

Merlyn closed her eyes and tried to focus, she was running out of options so tried the one thing she had left and called for her family.

* * *

Gail suddenly felt something burn within her, then took a step forward. The young girl grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back, causing Gail to have a flash back to the dead body she had come across earlier. She pulled her arm free and stepped away from her car, not knowing who was the worst choice here. Without thinking, something within her pushed her in the direction of her Father and she sat down beside him.

Peter laughed and shook his head. 'Took you long enough honey, where you been hidin'?' he asked, not taking his eyes off the young teenage girl by her car.

Gail glanced at the girl, then noticed Gideon had gotten out of the car and was standing protectively in front of her. 'Who is she?' Gail asked, sensing a connection between them both.

Peter took a large drag of his cigarette, then exhaled slowly. 'Patty? Oh she's no-one, she was long gone before you were born...I can't believe my little girl shacked up with Lucas Buck' he said irritably.

Gail felt something stir within her, there was that name again. Suddenly Judith Temple appeared at the top of the path and Gideon started to bark. Gail could see the malice in her eyes and started to get up, when she felt her Fathers hand grip her arm and pull her back down.

'Patty was the favorite, my Momma's little princess and my Fathers pride and joy...she was the special one and could do no wrong' Peter sighed and shot a look of warning at Judith, who stopped in her tracks.

Gail glanced at the young girl hiding behind Gideon, then looked confused at Judith. She felt something strange trying to rise within her and let off an involuntary shudder. 'You were jealous of the attention she was getting?' Gail asked, without taking her eyes off Judith.

'Jealous, no but angry? I suppose I was...After all those years of being placed on a pedestal, just to be replaced by this first little pretty thing that came their way. Who could blame a person for lashing out?' he asked, giving Gail the information she required.

Gail nodded and kept her focus on Judith. Her memories were coming back slowly now and she was met with a vision of Judith being raped by the man in her previous vision. 'Lucas Buck'

'Heathen!...' Peter spat out, '...Although, he did keep his mouth shut about Patty'

Gail disregarded Judith and turned towards her Father. 'What do you mean? What did he do?' she asked, not understanding why the comment would bother her so much.

'He really did do a number on you didn't he? I mean, I thought you were just using your powers of persuasion to bring him down...you get that behaviour from your Mother by the way, but he's really got his claws into you hasn't he?' Peter asked and looked at his daughter in disgust.

Patty's scream caught her attention and she saw Judith was walking forward, with a knife firmly gripped in her hand. Without thinking Gail reached down and connected with the strange feeling that was clawing to be freed, then a picture of Merlyn Temple flowed through her mind. When she opened her eyes Judith was frozen and she turned her attention back to her Father.

* * *

Merlyn had gone to Gail's side and took hold of her hand, when her fallen family had failed to respond to her call. She was about to give up and call for Lucas, when a vision of her Mother holding a knife flashed through her mind and she heard the voice of Gail's Father in her head.

'Jealous, no but angry? I suppose I was...After all those years of being placed on a pedestal, just to be replaced by this first little pretty thing that came their way. Who could blame a person for lashing out?' she heard Peter say, then after a few moments her Mother appeared in the room with her.

'Momma?' Merlyn asked, still holding onto Gail's hand.

Judith appeared confused and stared down at Gail with hatred in her eyes. Merlyn was in shock that her Mother had shown herself and smiled; however, when she realised the presence in the room merge into her Mother and the Peter's words sank in, her smile faded. 'This was you?' she asked confused and unable to hide the disappointment on her face.

Judith tried to focus all her rage on Gail, she had sacrificed herself for her son and this woman before her was taking that away from her. She no longer appeared as important as she once was and that hurt. She wanted to punish Gail, for giving herself to Lucas willingly. Had she have done the same it may not have ended the way it did for her. Lucas and Gail's relationship should not have happened and it was now taking the spotlight away from her son.

Judith tried her best to keep the anger flowing; however, when she saw the look of disappointment on her daughters face and she remembered that Gail had somehow given her a second chance in life, her hold on the woman subsided and the heart monitor beeps increased, indicating Gail's heartbeat was increasing to a healthy pace.

Merlyn watched as her Mother disappeared and shook her head. This whole time the hold on Gail was her own Mother and she did not understand why. She turned towards Gail, who had still not moved, then cursed out loud. The presence was gone; however, her cousin had still not awoken.

She sensed Lucas was heading their way, so closed her eyes and focused hard in an attempt to reach her cousin.

* * *

Gail sensed Judith disappear, but did not take her eyes off her Father. She felt herself being pulled by some invisible force; however, she was not ready to leave yet and seen as she had been thrown into this endless cycle, she now would not leave until she was good and ready. 'You were jealous and abusive...What type of man hurts children?' she asked in disbelief, taking this opportunity to confront her Father once and for all.

'You think you're so pure and innocent? Oh please, what you did to that pretty little Teachers Father was beyond anythin' I could've imagined...and to a Priest as well, honey you should be ashamed of yourself' Peter laughed and took another drag of his cigarette.

Gail took the cigarette from his hand and took a long drag herself, she held the smoke inside for a few moments and then exhaled deeply. Gail's memories had come flooding back at the mention of Selena's Father, she recalled Rosemary and what she had allowed her to do to that Priest.

The more she remembered, the less her darkness attempted to claw it's way out. She had made peace with who she was and there was no danger of her forgetting that now, she would not be distracted from what she was trying to accomplish. 'Are you of all people really trying to judge me here? You beat up your wife, abused your child, drove your wife into the arms of another man and murdered your sister!' Gail snapped, finally realising why Patty was following her.

Peter stood up and ripped the cigarette from Gail's hand. 'You need to open your eyes little girl, I did what I had to do and I dealt with the consequences of that every day of my life...It's because of me that you had room for that darkness to seep inside of you, you think that would've happened if you had a boring normal childhood?'

Gail laughed and stood up. 'What is it you want from me? Am I to thank you for making me damaged? Or is it just that you're so angry at who I let inside me that you're trying to distract me, so I'm trapped here with you forever?' she asked, sensing her window of opportunity was closing.

Peter shook his head and gripped her arm tight. 'You go back to your perfect little family petal, but remember this...Gage Temple was a High School drop out and your Mother didn't have an original bone in her body...Do you really think either of them came up with the plan for that 4th of July incident?' he smiled grimly.

Gail stared at him confused, then remembered how she felt at the Sheriff's election on 4th July the previous year. She had sensed something deep down was not right and had not questioned why she had accepted the version of events she had been fed so easily.

Peter let go of her arm and pushed her towards Gideon. 'It's time...you come see me baby girl, we'll finish this another time' he said and turned away.

Gail went to follow her Father; however, she suddenly felt herself being pulled violently away and opened her eyes to the dull light of a hospital room.

Merlyn smiled when she saw Gail's eyes open, she had used all of her strength to pull her cousin back to her and at one point thought it was not going to work.

'You shouldn't have done that' Gail said, pulling herself to a seated position and rubbing her eyes.

'I had to, I don't know what would've happened if you stayed in that state for much longer' Merlyn warned.

'You mean you don't know what Lucas Buck would've done?' Gail asked and watched as Merlyn stared at her hands.

'It's nice to know that everyone's so concerned about me...' Lucas said, as he leaned against the open door with his arms folded. '...Nice to see you back in the world of the living Miss Emory, you enjoy your rest?'

Gail regarded Lucas suspiciously and forced a smile. 'If that's what you wanna call it Sheriff...Where's my cousin?' she asked, concerned that Caleb was not in the room with his sister.

'The boy's with Abe guardin' our little one..Speaking of which, I think it's about time you met our son' Lucas smiled and went to call Abe.

'No...' Gail said sternly and ignored the wounded look on his face, the words of her Father were flowing through her brain and she could not shake her suspicions. '...I some time to think'

Lucas glanced at Merlyn, who just shrugged, then approached Gail's bedside and knelt down beside her. 'Love, you've been through somethin' and I get that, but if you push away this baby we're gonna have a problem' he warned.

Gail stared deep into his eyes and knew he was serious. For the first time she began to wonder what transpired when Judith gave birth to Caleb; however, the darkness within her ripped that thought out of her mind and focused her mind on him. 'Alright sweetheart, why don't you bring in our little bundle of joy and I'll behave like a good woman should' she said sarcastically and rolled her eyes at Merlyn when Lucas left the room.

When Lucas returned with the baby wrapped in a soft blue blanket, he carefully placed the boy in her arms and watched her reaction closely. He sensed that she was not herself and hoped she was not going the way Judith had.

Gail smiled down at the beautiful baby in her arms; however, she felt nothing. Her mind was plagued with doubt over her parents deaths, Judith's suicide and what Lucas could have to do with them all. Her doubt and suspicions had allowed an opening for a part of her she had pushed deep down, which caused her to see the evil within the child she was holding and she felt no emotion towards it.

She was not stupid and had learned at a young age to perform in a certain way; therefore, her true feelings remained hidden and she smiled, as a new Mother would. When Lucas took the baby from her and smiled proudly, she felt a weight lift off her chest and signaled for him to leave and allow her time to rest.

* * *

A day had past and Gail had checked herelf out of the hospital, to the disappointment of her good friend Matt. She had insisted the baby be kept in, stating it was to allow the postnatal nurses to ensure her baby was healthy; however, she was just buying herself some time to figure out what to do.

Gail had not felt herself and had chosen to push her darkness deep down. She was aware of the influence that side of her had when it came to Lucas Buck and she would not allow herself to be fooled by this tricks; therefore, she kept her mind sharp and had come to a sacred place, to be alone with her thoughts.

As she stared down at her Fathers grave, part of her felt disgust; however, another part of her was grateful she had gotten the chance to talk to him. She could not get his words out of her head and it was becoming increasingly hard to shield her thoughts from Lucas, so she decided now was the time to come here as he was still distracted with their newborn baby.

Gail knelt down and shook her head at the gravestone of Peter Emory. 'You're a liar, I would've known if he had anything to do with this' she said, unsure of whether she was trying to convince her Father or herself.

Laughter came from all around her and she sighed. 'So this is it, you're gonna haunt me now?...' she asked aloud, '...You're the one who betrayed me. I trusted you, believed in you and my memory of you was a lie'

'You've always known the truth, ever since you opened the coroners report when you were a teenager in Charleston. Your instincts told you he was involved...you don't have to pull the trigger to be a murder' Peter whispered in her ear.

Gail closed her eyes at the feel of her Fathers close to her, at one time in her life that was all she ever wanted. The man was bad; however, he was her family and she could not deny the holes in the conclusion Lucas had so neatly led her to. 'You murdered your sister, why should I believe any of this?' she asked, hating what her Father was.

'Because you know deep down that we're more alike than you want to believe' Peter laughed, then he was gone.

Gail sighed, stood up and dusted the dirt off her jeans. This was not how this was supposed to play out, she was supposed to be happy with her newborn child; however, she could not stand the sight of him, due to the doubt and suspicions that were flowing through her mind.

She could not afford to allow Lucas to find out how she truly felt, as she sensed his reaction would be fatal; therefore, she would perform like any good girl would and just bide her time, until she was able to find out the answers she required. In the meantime, she needed to find her Aunt Patty's body and give her a proper burial. That poor girl had been discarded for too long.

-The End-


End file.
